Veteran darts player Deta Hedman has withdrawn from the PDC Women’s Series after being drawn to face transgender competitor Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
The 65-year-old opted to forfeit her place rather than compete against Van Leuven — marking the second time she has made such a decision. Hedman previously pulled out of the Denmark Open last year for the same reason, saying at the time, “I’m not playing against a man in a woman’s body.”
Noa-Lynn van Leuven, 29, who was born male in the Netherlands, made history last year as the first Dutch woman to qualify for the World Darts Championship. Despite ongoing debates surrounding transgender participation in sports, Van Leuven remains eligible to compete in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. However, the World Darts Federation (WDF) banned transgender players from its competitions earlier this year.
Top darts player Michael van Gerwen has come to Van Leuven’s defense, calling the criticism “heartbreaking.”
“She does what she does, and she can play terrific darts. Let her play. For me, there’s never been a discussion — but I don’t make the rules,” van Gerwen said. “The PDC can never make the right choice anyway. Whatever they do, people will always disagree.”
Earlier this year, Van Leuven took a break from the sport after receiving death threats and online abuse. Responding to the WDF’s transgender ban, she expressed her disappointment on Instagram, writing:
“This decision hurts. Once again, it’s a loss for the trans community in sports. Inclusion is vital — not just in theory but in practice. It’s disheartening to see another policy framed around ‘fairness’ that ends up excluding people. My heart goes out to all athletes affected. We remain visible. We keep going.”
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